Joke
by Disgrayceful Ways
Summary: While sitting upon the ledge of Gotham Tower, Batman contemplates why he'll never win.


Gotham tower was a place that Batman usually found himself. Always drawn to it because it was the tallest building in the city. He needed to feel like he was on top of things, that he was in control, but he knew the truth. He wasn't in control, he never had been and he had The Joker and his little whore to blame.

Harley was especially troubling for him. It had been hard enough to keep Joker under control, but now with Harley in the picture, he wasn't sure what to really do. She could come and go through out the city as she pleased because no one knew what she honestly looked like without her make up or a lab coat and glasses. It was almost as if she had planned to be with the Joker her whole life and knew the precautions she needed to take in order to live as she pleased.

Of course that was just silly, that little girl had no idea what she was doing and as far as Batman was concerned, she was just an innocent girl who had finally snapped under the Joker's charmingly hideous looks. The evil she committed was to no fault of her own and Batman had always been gentle with her when it came to finally capturing her and sending her off to Arkham.

It was a mistake he always made and a mistake that he had yet to notice. What Batman didn't realize was the Harley knew exactly what she was doing and out of everyone involved in Gotham and crime, she was the most brilliant. It took a genius to hide your true self so consistently and that's what Harley did. She hid under her mask of make up and false love for the Joker and batted her eyes at Batman when he'd take her to Arkham. "Oh, Bats...ya ain't so bad, are ya?" She'd say, allowing her words to soften his heart and his gaze for her.

Batman never really noticed why he was so angry about Harley being with the Joker, but as he sat upon the ledge of Gotham tower, he realized that he was angry because the Joker had someone so perfectly fitted for him and everyone Batman had ever loved had slipped through his fingers. He was never strong enough to keep them within his grasp but here was a complete lunatic, evil in every sense of the word who just couldn't get rid of this woman that he loved so dearly.

Batman wasn't stupid, despite how many times the Joker had tried to kill Harley, he didn't really want to. He never finished the job, always making mistakes that helped her survive and it had taken a while, but Batman realized it was because Joker didn't want to be without Harley.

When Harley was in Arkham, more often than not...if she wasn't out by a certain amount of time, it was a guarantee that the Joker would be around to rescue her. Somehow, though, no one was ever ready for him. Many a time guards and doctors had disappeared, people who had direct contact with Harley and eventually the staff at Arkham had become afraid of Harley's arrival and almost everyone would decline being on her case; it only made it that much easier for the Joker to get to her.

Batman always stayed close while Harley was locked up because of this, but it seemed futile and he felt pathetic that he could never stop them. When Joker wanted something, he got it and it became painfully obvious to Batman that the jobs that didn't go well for the Joker were jobs the Joker didn't want to go well. Everything was a game, even Harley's lock ups.

Batman's ego and pride were aching with grief the night he realized that the Joker would always win, even when he lost. The Joker didn't care about pulling off the perfect job or even killing him. Batman figured that's what made it worse, the Joker didn't want to kill him, just show him that he was the king of the city and Harley was his demented, sickeningly lovely queen and Batman was just a pawn in a long drawn out joke.

At that thought, Batman's eyes closed, frustration building in his chest. He didn't know why it took him so long to figure it out. He should have realized it so long ago...

Batman was the Joker's most successful joke and everyone was laughing.


End file.
